Airtight joints for air conducting floor cells



Dec. 8, 1959 B. E. CURRAN 2,916,110

AIRTIGHT JOINTS FOR AIR CONDUCTING FLOOR CELLS Filed Nov. 21, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 1 T It p I 1 E I I 1 I .I Z

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IN V EN TOR. Bernard ffurran BY mum ATTORNEY AIRTIGHT JOINTS FOR AIR CONDUCTING FLOOR CELLS Filed Nov. 21, 1.956

B. E. CURRAN Dec. 8 1959 3 SheetsSheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Bernard E.Curran ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1959 AIRTIGHT JOINTS FOR AIR CONDUCTING FLOOR CELLS Filed Nov. 21, 1956 B. E. CURRAN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 xxx) F '6. INVENTOR- 7 47 Bernard E.Curran ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 2,9 16,1 Patented Dec. 8, 1959 AIRTIGHT JOINTS FOR AIR CONDUCTING FLOOR CELLS Bernard E. Curran, Sewickley, Pa., assignor to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 21, 1956, Serial No. 623,583

3 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to an improved airtight seal and joint between the ends of adjacent elongated air conducting cells forming a part of the flooring of the building and air conditioning structure shown in the Goemann Patent No. 2,729,429.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of airtight joint between adjacent of the aforesaid air conducting floor cells to reduce to a minimum air loss therethrough, thereby contributing to the successful operation of the entire system.

With this object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the novel construction of airtight joint between the adjacent ends of the air carrying floor cells as hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view of one story of a multi-story building embodying the present air distributing system;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing air distributing outlets forming a part of the system connected to the air conditioning floor cells;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the ends of adjacent cellular units in separated relation together with a cover member and designed to form a joint between adjacent air conducting cells;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view longitudinally of the air conducting cell showing the end joint joined in airtight relation;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view transversely of the cell taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4'

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating a modified form of the invention showing the end joint joined in airtight relation; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view longitudinally of the cell taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

In general in the air distributing structure forming the subject matter of the Goemann patent above referred to the conditioned air is distributed under pressure through selected of the air cells of the cellular metallic floor. The latter is formed by erecting successive preformed cellular units in aligned and end to end relation to one another and also with the side of the units in contiguous relation to one another. The present invention is concerned with the provision of a novel and superior construction of airtight joint between the adjacent ends of aligned air carrying cells forming a part of the floor. In the preferred form of the invention the air carrying cells may comprise separate individual units aligned and erected in side by side relation to other cellular units of the complete floor.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, each air conducting cell comprises upper and lower U-shaped members 30, 32 having laterally extended flanges 34, 36 welded together to form a hollow duct or cell, the flanges of the upper member 30 being preferably provided with male and female lip portions 38, 39 respectively by which the cellular units maybe laid side by side in interlocking relation to other units making up the complete cellular floor by the cooperation of the marginal lip portions.

As shown in Fig. 2, each air conducting cell forming a part of the flooring structure is supported on the structural steel framework of the building, the structural members 45 and 47. In practice the elongated flooring units embodying the air conducting cells are laid end to end so that the joints between the ends of adjacent units are disposed over a structural member with the end of one unit cooperating with the end of an adjacent unit to form an extension thereof. In accordance with the present invention the leading and trailing ends 40, 42 of each air conducting cell are particularly designed for mutual interconnection with corresponding end portions of endwise adjacent units, preferably in a manner such that the leading end portion 40 of one unit may be fitted into nesting and overlapping relation with the trailing end portion 42 of the adjacent unit. As herein shown, the leading end 40 of the lower member 32 is provided with an upwardly offset lower wall portion 44 for overlapping engagement with the straight lower wall of the trailing end 42. The trailing end 42 of the lower member 32 is provided with outwardly offset side wall portions 46, 48 and similar downwardly offset flange portions 50, 52 for overlapping cooperation with the straight side walls and flanges of the leading end 40.

With this construction it will be seen that when the leading end 40 of one unit is placed in nesting and overlapping relation with the trailing end 42 of a cooperating unit the offset portions of one unit will overlap and embrace the straight or non-offset portions of the second unit, thus forming an overlapping end joint structure. As herein shown, the upper members 30 of each air conducting unit are preferably shorter in length than the underlying members, the ends thereof being set back a substantial distance from the ends of the underlying members of the units to provide an opening along the top of the units above the joint, as indicated at 54 in Fig. 4, whereby to permit access to the overlapping ends of the units to permit them to be conveniently welded to the structural member 47. The opening 54 may subsequently be closed by an inverted U-shaped cover plate indicated at 56 having offset portions at its ends which may overlap the straight ends of adjacent upper members 30 and extend across the width of the unit.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, during the assembly of the end joint, cementitious material indicated at 58 may be applied across the complete width of the offset portions which are arranged in overlapping relation with an adjacent cell to form an airtight seal therewith, and likewise the cover member 56 connecting the spaced ends of the upper units 30 may be provided with cementitious material 60 across the entire width of the offset portions to completely seal the end joint, thus forming a leakproof and airtight structure to efficiently conduct the conditioned air to the various outlets in the flooring structure.

In a modified form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the end joint may, if preferred, be assembled by securing the overlapped end portions 40, 42 of adjacent units to the structural member 47 by welding the same thereto as indicated at 62. In order to provide an airtight sealed joint between the leading and trailing ends 40, 42 of the adjacent overlapped units, the leading end 40 may be welded in the manner indicated at 64 to the surface of the trailing end 42 of the adjacent overlapped unit as shown in Fig. 7. In practice the overlapped portions 40, 42 of adjacent units may be first a welded to the structural member The joint between the ends 46, 42 may then be sealed by welding lit will be unde'stood that the overlapped units across the entire width of the floor may be first secured to the structural member 4 7, and then the end joint between the units sealed by welding in "he manner described. Cover plate as may then be secured in position over the ends of the upper members in the manner heretofore described to thereby complete the formation of the airtight joint.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is: 1. In a building and air distributing structure, a cellular metal load supporting floor embodying an air carrying conduit formed of a plurality of end connected cellular units, each unit comprising a lower U-shaped section and an upper inverted U-shaped section, each section having laterally extended flanges welded together to provide a cellular structure, each cellular unit having a leading and a trailing end with the tower section of each unit extending beyond the upper section at each end, the trailing end of the lower section of each unit having: a straight bottom wall; outwardly offset side walls; and downwardly oi'iset fian e portions, the leading end of the lower section of each unit having: an upwardly offset bottom wall; straight side Walls; and straight flange portions whereby the leading end of one unit is received within the trailing end of an adjacent unit in nesting and overlapping relation with the ends of the upper sections of adjacent units arranged in spaced relation, an inverted U-shaped cover member having laterally extended flange portions and provided with upwardly offset end portions including the flange portions thereof arranged to overlap the ends and flange portions of the spaced upper sections of adjacent units and to close the space therebetween, the intermediate flange portions of the cover bearing against the aligned upper surfaces of the overlapping flange portions of the lower sections of adjacent units, and a continuous layer of sealing material between the nested and overlapped portions of said units and said cover forming airtight joint therebetwcen.

2. A building and air distributing structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the overlapping side wall portions provide flush interior side wall surfaces, and wherein the straight bottom Wall of t re trailing end is provided with an upwardly set transverse rib for cooperation with the overlapped of the bottom wall of the leading end of an adjacent unit.

3. A building and air distributing structure as defined in cl. 1 wherein the overlapped portions of the bottom walls of adjacent units are welded together and to a supporting ternber, and wherein the overlapping leading edge of the lower section of one unit is welded to the underlying face of the trailing end of the lower section of an adjacent unit.

References tCited in the file of this patent UNITE STATES PATENTS 1,686,254 Rachlin Oct. 2, 1928 1,818,389 Pullman et al Aug. 11, 1931 1,823,699 Norton et al. Sept. 15, l93l 2,445,198 Wiesmann July 13, 1948 2,729,429 Goemenn Jan. 3, 1956 

